Breakdown of Omdat het regent, spreken we in het café af.
wij
we
in
in
het
it
omdat
because
regenen
to rain
afspreken
to meet up
het café
the café
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Questions & Answers about Omdat het regent, spreken we in het café af.
Why does the main clause start with spreken instead of we spreken?
In Dutch, when a subordinate clause (like one introduced by omdat) comes first, the main clause that follows must invert the subject and the finite verb. That’s why you get spreken we in het café af rather than we spreken in het café af.
What role does omdat play, and how does it affect word order?
Omdat is a subordinating conjunction meaning because. It introduces a reason clause. In Dutch subordinate clauses, the finite verb moves to the end of the clause. Here the clause is short—omdat het regent—so regent naturally sits at the end. But if you had another verb, e.g. omdat hij gisteren arriveert, the main verb (arriveert) would move even further back.
Why is there a comma after Omdat het regent?
It’s common (though not absolutely mandatory) in Dutch to separate a fronted subordinate clause from the main clause with a comma. This comma signals that the subordinate thought is finished and the main clause is beginning.
What does afspreken mean, and why is af at the end of the sentence?
Afspreken is a separable verb meaning to arrange (to meet). In a main clause the prefix af detaches and moves to the end. So you get spreken … af. If you put the sentence into a subordinate clause, you’d say dat we in het café afspreken, and the parts stay together.
Why do we say in het café and not naar het café?
In indicates the location where the action happens (we meet inside the café). Naar would emphasize movement towards the café (“to the café”), which isn’t the point here—we’re already arranging the meeting spot.
Why is the article het used before café?
Dutch nouns are either de-words (common gender) or het-words (neuter). Café is neuter, so it takes het, giving het café. It has nothing to do with natural gender—just grammatical classification.
Could I put the because-clause at the end instead? For example: We spreken in het café af omdat het regent.
Absolutely. If you start with the main clause, you follow the normal verb-second (V2) rule: We spreken in het café af (verb = position 2) and then add omdat het regent. No inversion is needed there.
Can I use want instead of omdat?
Yes. Want also means because, but it’s a coordinating conjunction. It doesn’t send the verb to the end of its clause and usually doesn’t follow a comma. It’s a bit more informal or conversational, whereas omdat is more neutral or formal.